Complete Newbie

Hi all,

Looks like a great amount of information to go through on this site. Before

i start my research I am reaching out in hopes for some quick direction of what I am looking for. Everything from best places to leave from, recommended cruises, day/time (if there are any better for some reason) , destinations, expected prices (that are considered a deal).

We are a family of 4 (kids are 5 and 7). Most importantly is entertainment for them on the ship BUT we also love the beach so a few nice stops along the way is a must. It would be a 7 day trip and other than that we are open for suggestions (except I know to book a balcony). We will be flying out of Toronto.

Thanks for any suggestions/advice/tips

Where are you located. Do you want to drive to the port, or will you be flying? Airfare can add significantly to the cost of your cruise, especially as you should arrive at the port a day before your cruise sails. EM

A little more information about you and your family is needed before any advice or tips can be given to you.

Which itinerary are you interested in?

Which cruise line are you interested in?

Your answers will help us in giving you the guidance you need.

great questions - located in Toronto and will be flying (original post updated)

 

Which itinerary are you interested in?

 

Which cruise line are you interested in?

Thanks for the reply.

Itinerary I don't know (not sure what that means!)

As for the lines, Carnival or Royal Caribbean likely unless I am told otherwise.

Thanks for the reply.

 

Itinerary I don't know (not sure what that means!)

 

As for the lines, Carnival or Royal Caribbean likely unless I am told otherwise.

Royal Caribbean's Oasis class ships have lots of activities for the kids. They sail from Port Canaveral and Ft. Lauderdale, are 7 day cruises starting on Saturday or Sunday, and travel either Eastern or Western Caribbean. If you pick one that stops in Labadee Haiti, that would be an excellent beach day for the family.

For a first cruise Royal Caribbean or Carnival out of Fort Lauderdale or Miami. Eastern Caribbean route would be my choice. Both lines have very good supervised programs for youth. Most of the larger/newer ships have things like water slides, rock climbing walls, zip lines, etc.

There are direct flights between YYZ and FLL or MIA. Fly in at least one day ahead of departure, especially for winter departures.

Four in a cabin is very tight. Consider booking two cabins. Perhaps a balcony and an inside across from the balcony. Can't go wrong with two bathrooms :).

I don't think I would put a 5 year old and 7 year old across the hall. At that age, on a ship for the first time, it would worry me that one of them might get up in the night and try coming across the hall to my cabin. We cruised with my Grandson at 4, but he shared a cabin with me. While it would be tight, I'd either put them all in the cabin with me or two balcony cabins with a connecting door. We've done both. Fly in the day prior to avoid any risk that a flight could be delayed or cancelled and you miss the ship. We love both the Western and the Eastern Caribbean. Whichever itinerary in the Caribbean you chose, keep in mind that during the winter, the water can be very cool. It varies. Southern Caribbean would be warmer water during the winter. Southern Caribbean cruises usually leave from Puerto Rico.

I would first look at flights to see which locations would be easy to get to and less expensive for tickets.

Next I would research the ships that are cruising from that port. For kids that young, I think either Carnival or RCL would be fine. If the kids were older teens, then I would choose RCL because they have a lot of fun stuff to do for older kids. For younger kids, Carnival's water play area is fine. I have no experience with the kid's clubs though.

No matter which cruise you choose, you will have access to beautiful beaches. Sometimes you can walk right off of the ship and enjoy the beach and at other places you can book a beach excursion or take a taxi to a nice beach.

With kids that young and if your schedule is flexible, I have found that booking cruises while kids are in school means I can get a much better price on the cruise and the ship isn't as crowded.

I personally prefer an eastern caribbean itinerary, but have had a lot of fun on the western ones too.

The RCI Voyager and Freedom class ships have a few balcony cabins that CONNECT to an inside cabin...perfect for a family with smaller kids...kids in the inside room, parents in the balcony. They are located on either side of the ship and are the last 2 cabins on each deck. Check out the deck plans.

Definitely a Caribbean cruise for beaches.

Prices for cruises are like airline prices...no two bookings will pay the same. You just need to start looking and when there is a price that's ok with you, book it!

I only have experience with carnival but can tell you that the kids in our family love the kids programs. I've never had more than 3 in a cabin but have family members who always have 4 in a cabin. Having a balcony makes it much nicer. On carnival, you can use the spa showers for free which really comes in handy with that many people in a cabin (and they are huge and awesome. )

I'm wondering if you can find a balcony connecting to an ocean view. Might be easier on the budget.

Thanks for the great information all

Here are some tips for getting the best prices from a Canadian perspective

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Thanks for the reply.

 

Itinerary I don't know (not sure what that means!)

 

As for the lines, Carnival or Royal Caribbean likely unless I am told otherwise.

The itinerary refers to the route the ship takes and the ports you will visit. For example, a 7 day Western Caribbean Cruise may go round trip from Galveston, Texas and visit Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan.

I didn't read any of the other posts - I know you said you intend on flying, but you could drive to the NY/NJ ports. Celebrity, NCL, and RCL all have sailings from there. The cheapest sailings are out of Miami and LA because that is where the most ships are, but like someone else said, pick a cruise port that you can fly to with the lowest airfare, and then narrow by preferred date and itinerary. Larger boats have more activites so that might be a good way to choose which cruise line to use.

Sailings are chepest in Sept & January and most expensive when schools are on break. July-Oct is hurricane season so you'd be gambling a bit if you book one then, esp Aug & Sept.

I like to use cruiseweb.com for searching because it has the most advanced search filters. Find the one you want to go on then book thru the cruiseline or yoru travel agent if you have one. If you end up picking Carnival and can book way ahead of time (like 2 years ahead of time), you will get their best prices. I havent studied the prices of the other lines as much so cant weigh in on those.

Here is my packing list if you are interested: http://laurenofalltrades.blogspot.com/2017/10/cruise-packing-list.html

I really think you should sit an hour with a professional / specialist cruise travel agent. Im sure theyll have a few of those in Toronto.

There you can flick through brochures, look a stuff and get expert first advise.

Kids sail free on MSC. They have the new Seaside doing the Caribbean as well as the Divinia. Beautiful ships.

We're an hour from Toronto and usually fly out for our cruises from there when we travel in the winter. We've cruised out of Miami a few times(flew into Ft. Lauderdale), Galveston and Tampa when flying. The Florida ports were much easier than Galveston (flights go into Houston)! Flying info Ft. Lauderdale was cheaper than Miami for us Canadians at the time and the outside company we hired for the transfer to the port of Miami the next day was only $15 per person as appose to the close to $50 per person transfer to Galveston. TONS of flights into Ft. Lauderdale and Miami! So take flights into consideration!

NEXT...I'd be looking at itinerary. What ports are you interested in? Once you know if you want Western, Eastern, etc. itinerary...look at what ships go there on both Carnival and say Royal Caribbean for the time period you are looking at. We've done both and there are pros and cons with both. For us...it comes down to budget. Both cruise lines have great children activities but the ships for each vary activities. Meaning...they both have kid's clubs but some has rock climbing, skating rink, etc. All the extras that can be fun!

If you are cruising in the summer or fall...consider driving to a port. We've drove to South Carolina and Baltimore. Saved on flight costs which is a significant cost for us! There's cruises out of New York as well!

There's cruise ship centers all around. Look for one in your city and sit down and talk to someone. They can offer great advise and give you some inside scoop! They often have cruise nights where they promote a certain fleet.

Good luck with your search and enjoy your 1st cruise!

While you're doing your research, you might consider taking a look at my wife's website. The slide shows of our various cruises contain visual information about cruise lines as well as itineraries. It may help you with your decision.

Here is a link http://www.nancysoasis.com

Best wishes for a wonderful cruise.